What to plant in October.
For New Gardeners
Start where you are. Grow what you can.
You just need a starting point. You don't need a perfect setup to begin. You don't need a large space.
Whether it's a container on your porch, a small raised bed, or a few herbs in your kitchen window, growth begins with a single step.
Every gardener — even the most seasoned — started with a single seed and a hopeful guess. Your first season won't be perfect, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be. It isn't about perfection — it's about the process. The process of becoming. And as you tend the soil, you tend yourself. In time, you will reap a harvest — a JoyFull harvest at that.
Find the sun
Most vegetables want 6+ hours of direct sun. A bright porch is enough.
Water with care
Stick a finger in the soil. If the top inch is dry, it's time to water.
Start small
One bucket of tomatoes or a pot of basil is a real garden — and a real beginning.
Fall • This Month
October in the garden.
Plant garlic, finish fall greens, and prepare beds for winter.
Garlic
Plant cloves now for a harvest next summer — one of the easiest crops you'll ever grow.
Spinach & Mache
Cold-hardy greens that can carry you into winter.
Cover Crops
Sow clover or rye to nourish empty beds through winter.